It's Already the 16th?

• Learned

 I learned (well, will be learning) how to make a pond in Maya. Also, I learned just how wild and crazy a poorly maintained Hypergraph can be..... *cries internally*

• Want to learn

How to make a believable background. I am trying to make a park and there is a spot where my grass just ends and the backdrop for the sky begins and it looks terrible. I need to do something about that ASAP

• Frustrated you

 Hypergraph..... *shivers*
Also, backgrounds

• Made you happy

 My boyfriend and I went on a date on Saturday the 15th. We went to Olive Garden for dinner. It was just so perfect! We got our own table and ordered something new off the menu (even though mine had peppers, I still enjoyed it until my stomach couldn't handle any more). Afterwards there was dessert (Black Tie Chocolate Mouse Cake and White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake). I don't think I could have asked for a better belated Valentines Day <3

I gave Goo a skeleton!! He looks adorable!! I am so happy I got my little Goo to move >w< He shall now proudly slither across the ground as a good Goo should.

• Link of interest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b76hLkOOUVg&list=WLkacLqVMWvwKZv5toKxfpFZX59OceDA7i

I figured it might add an element of realism to my park scene. I guess it will be all about trial and error. Hopefully the different versions won't conflict with one another (because the Maya in the video seems to be an older version)

Hooking Your Audience: One Step at a Time

Arm yourself with knowledge

• The animations that are the most relatable are the ones that hook your audience the best. Make sure you know who that audience is inside and out (the best you can at least. No estimate is perfect).
• Nothing quite like Pathos to entice a viewer. Make sure you're sending the right emotional messages in the right ways. Music, voice overs, sound effects, etc. Emotion is a great way to retain viewers.
• Keep it fresh. Don't give them something stale and boring.

Thoughts and opinions

• All very useful pointers. I will try to keep these in mind.
•  Emotional appeal is very powerful. Use it whenever possible

Question

• How is "curiosity and suspense"  different from "appealing to emotions?" Why are they even in separate categories?

The Lego Movie: Where Childhood Toys Meet Adulthood CGI

Facts you should know

• The Lego Movie was made with a mixture of real Lego blocks and fake computer animated blocks. Hm. Who'da guessed? (Apparently not me haha)
• Lego girls are tricky (just like their realistic counterparts). Making her more difficult to read so one couldn't figure out her story just by looking at her and the limitations of Legos themselves made her a rather interesting character to make and model.
• Wear and tear making for a more believable movie. The Legos were modeled to look like they had been used (dirt, dust, and dandruff). Reminded viewers of the use their own Legos owned and destroyed in their youths.

 Just gotta say

• Not using all real Legos was probably an amazing idea. As it was stated in the article, using all real Legos might have cost a fortune. This is probably why I shouldn't work in stop-motion any time soon
• I can only imagine the time and dedication to this project that it must have taken. And one has to admire the attention to detail when it came to making the Lego characters feel authentic

You know I gotta ask

• Where were real Legos used and can they be easily spotted among the fake ones?

I Need a More Creative Title for This Post

Weekly comments, yay...

• Weekly "learned" update

Hm, not much. I did a lot of work with the Anibot and I think I learned more from doing than from the learning videos. I figured out the Hypergraph and Hypershade, which is really useful. Well, ok, I guess I didn't really figure out the Hypergraph so much as learned how to find the action I was looking for. Still playing with it.

• Want to learn

Character modeling and rigging. I want to know if my super simple character will be able to be rigged the way I want him to be (moving in specific ways and being built the way I want him to be. I'm mostly worried I'll run into the same issue with Flash...)

• Frustrated me

It didn't so much frustrate me as it did disappoint me. I would have loved to have rendered my Anibot in Mental Ray for my class competition but it didn't render in time. Thank goodness I had already rendered it in Maya Software (because Hardware 2.0 didn't render my 3D textures properly)

• Made me happy

I'm glad to have made a decent looking product that I can be proud of. It seemed to capture the attention of my fellow classmates, so I should be happy. Also I look forward to finding out which two out of the three of us Skills USA members will get to go to competition. All three of us deserve to go, but sadly we can't all go. I wish you two luck Brian and Jake. May the best man (or woman) win.

• Link of interest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gGQ_hnx3Cc

I've been watching this video almost non-stop since I discovered it a few days ago. It's another animatic. I love this song so much! And the animation fits with the music (except for the genders of the characters, but that doesn't really matter to me). I really want to see that play now haha.

Another Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs post

Only this time it's about a Q&A

• The characters were recycled from the first movie but they had to be re-rigged to meet the standards of modern CG. Oh hair, why are you so difficult to rig?
• Despite the foodimals looking simple and easy, rigging them was difficult because making one wrong move could make the difference between a believable foodimal and a not believable one (stretching seeds and taco toppings)
• "Depth styling"- Changing the look of an object depending on how far away from the camera it is. Sounds like "depth of field."

Thoughts and opinions

• I had a hard time pulling information out of this article. It all felt slightly repetitive.
• Lots of concept art. It is very colorful and it looks beautiful

Question:

• Who came up with what foods would act as what creature/plant? Like asparagus trees or pancake bogs?

Introverts and Extroverts. Ying and Yang

Introverts and Extroverts. Two different sides of the same coin. Though they are very different, they can work in perfect harmony to produce the greatest quality movie that will stand out above the rest.

I personally believe myself to be an extrovert ;) How about you?

Fun Facts

• Extroverts often have their heads in the clouds (I would know). Introverts on the other hand have a unique ability to remain down to Earth, which is very useful when you have a problem that needs solving and you just can't solve it yourself. They can give useful feedback and pitch amazing ideas that can make a complex problem seem simple.
• Introverts are able to write clear and focused stories. The stories are real and resonate with their "down to Earth" natures.
• As ironic as it sounds, introverts can help to revitalize and energize a team between films. The extroverts have burned up all their energy being extroverts and require a soothing and calming vibe from introverted teammates.

 Cool beans

• This article made some very interesting points and really proved how two very different types of people can work in perfect harmony (or at least how introverts can work with extroverts. I'm curious as to what extroverts have to offer to introverts).
•  I somewhat have to disagree with #3 on the list. I feel as though it implies that extroverts can't find creativity in solitude as well or not at all. I am an extrovert and I find all of my best ideas in the mornings when I am all alone. I believe myself to be a highly creative person and #3 bothered me a bit. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

 You know I gotta ask

• How can extroverts benefit introverts? Can extroverts aid introverts?